Before I can ask him anything about what he’s just said, he reaches out one of his small hands and places it on the pendant of the creature. He mutters something under his breath, too quiet for me to hear, and then there’s a brief flash of magic before he steps back with a smile.
“There it is all done, miss,” he smiles happily.
I’m about to reply when my eyes widen in shock as memories come flooding back. The backward knee walking things in the Choosing, and the huge and invisible creature, which helped me. I remember that before itarrived, my necklace heated, signaling its presence. It helped me. I would have been easily overwhelmed if it weren’t for its help.
Holy shit, it’s the same creature as the one who bit me in Luesidious. I remember the air around it shimmering slightly and allowing me a small glimpse of it.
“Wow,” I mutter in awe.
“Miss is getting her memories back?” Flin asks with a knowing smile, lighting up his features.
I can’t help but return his smile as I nod, “Yes, I am, thank you for returning them to me, Flin.”
“You are most welcome, we need to go,” he replies, and then just like that, he and all the imps are gone again.
“Your memories back?” Raiden asks curiously. “What the hell does that mean?”
I nod and start bouncing, shifting from foot to foot as I do because I’m excited. I quickly explain to him about the trial in the Choosing and the creature helping me, holding up my necklace that has now shrunk back to its original size, and showing him the creature that I’m talking about.
“So, a similar creature to the one that bit you as you jumped through the portal in Luesidious, helped you defeat the creatures in the trial at the Choosing, and your necklace is connected to it somehow? Is that right?”
“Yes and no, the creature isn’t a similar one, it’s the same one,” I explain with absolute certainty, because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they are the same creature.
Raiden just stares at me for a moment, “Wow.”
I nod, still grinning, and then my mouth drops open, “Holy shit, the kelpie lake and the missing time.”
“That was your creature, too?” Raiden asks.
“I remember my necklace heating, I don’t think it was my creature that was the threat though. I think it was there because I was under threat, and that’s why my creature turned up, like it could sense it somehow,” I reply. “Winston!”
“How many times have I told you that you don’t need to shout?” Winston says as he appears in front of us, with his finger in his ear and scowling.
“You know the imps gave me this necklace?” I ask and thrust it toward his face.
He nods, “Yes, and it’s still a mystery to me why they have it and why they gave it to you.”
“Well, it had a protection on it, and Flint lifted it, and now I remember, the creature appeared and helped me,” I explain, and then add more detail when he just stares at me like he’s not computing what the fuck I’m saying.
“That’s impossible,” he finally says.
“It’s really not because it’s turned up to help me twice. Once in the Choosing and then once at the kelpie lake when I lost time. Was it one of these creatures that Wallace fought?” I ask.
Winston shakes his head, “No, it wasn’t, and he would have told me if he had seen one of these creatures, they have long been extinct.”
Wallace suddenly appears, “I’m sorry, friend. Until Neith mentioned it, I thought it was just a fragment of my imagination. I was in pretty bad shape, as you know, and it just seemed too fantastical to believe that I was actually seeing it. I only caught a glimpse of it, but it helped me fight off the threat until you arrived with back up, and then it just disappeared, and I thought I imagined the help.”
Winston sighs but nods, “That’s understandable. Things are changing.”
I decide not to bother asking about that because it sounds incredibly foreboding, and quite frankly, I don’t want to know. Instead, I focus on Wallace.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. Thank you for snapping me out of the trance and protecting me,” I tell him.
“You are most welcome,” he replies. “We’re still not quite sure what happened or how the creature got through the wards in the first place. I think that House is most definitely the best place for you, especially with the wards against the dead that you have added. We’re still searching the grounds at the other house.”
“You didn’t capture whatever it was that put Neith into a trance and stole time from her?” Raiden asks worriedly.
Winston and Wallace both shake their heads, both of them looking extremely unhappy about the admission.
